Gate-latch.



L. SWANK.

GATE LATCH.-

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. 1915.

Patented May 25, 1915.

A llllllllllllll TTOR/VE Y5 THE NORRIS PETERS CO v PHOTG-L!THO..WASHINSWN, D.

LAFE SWANK, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DWIGGINS WIRE FENCECOMPANY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

GATE-LATCH.

ianoso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAFE SWANK, a citizen of the United States, residingat Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Gate-Latch, of which the following is aspecification. I

The object of my invention is to provide a gate latch which is efficientin operation and simple and inexpensive in construction, and which maybe released to permit the gate to open in either direction butautomatically latches the gate as the gate comes to closed position fromeither direction.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate latch embodying my invention,showing a fragment of a gate post on which this gate latch is mounted;Fig. 2 is a plan view of this gate latch, with the gate post and thebase of the gate latch in section; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thebase of the gate latch; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the gate latch,with the gate-engaging member in section to show the cooperation of theparts; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a gate and gate posts, providedwith two of my gate latches.

The gate latch comprises a base 10 which is provided with screw holes 11whereby it may be attached to a fence post 12, which is one of the twofence posts between which the gate 13 is hung, the gate being hinged tothe other gate post 14. This base has a rearwardly projecting peripheralflange 15, for bearing against the fence post and providing a recessbehind the body of the base. From the front face of the base 10 twohorizontal flanges 16 and 17 project forward, the flange 16 being spacedfrom and above and being of less width than the flange 17. The flanges16 and 17 are provided with alined vertical holes for receiving avertical pin 18, which furnishes a pivotal support for the gate-engagingyoke 19, which has two arms which when in gate-latching position (shownin full lines in Fig. 2) project on opposite sides of the gate edge. Theyoke 19 may be swung about the pivot pin 18 in either direction, to thepositions shown in dotted lines and chain lines respectively in Fig. 2,for permitting the gate to be opened in either direction. However, thisswinging is normally prevented by two stop latches 20, which normallyengage the shoulders 21 on the yoke 19 when such yoke is in the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 2. The stop latches 20 are pivotallysupported on the base 10, so as to swing about horizontal axes at rightangles to such base. Each of these stop latches is conveniently formedin a single piece, which has a shank 22 for projecting through a hole 23in the base 10 at the side of the flange 16, this shank 22 at its rearend being provided with a lateral finger 23 for projecting behind thebody of the base 10 in the recess formed by the flange 15, and at itsforward end being provided with a downwardly projecting finger 24 forengaging the shoulder 21 and with a lateral operating arm 25, which atits outer end may be provided with a hole 26 for the attachment of achain 27, whereby the corresponding arms 25 of two or more gate latchesmay be interconnected for simultaneous operation, as indicated in Fig.5, two latches serving more efliciently to hold the gate closed thanone.

In operation, the yoke 19 when in full line position shown in Fig. 2serves to hold the gate against being opened in either direction, forthe fingers 24 of the stop latches 2O engage both shoulders 21 of theyoke and prevent its moving in either direction. By lifting the arms 25of the stop latches at one side of the various gate latches with whichthe gate may be provided, the fingers 24 of such stop latches aredisconnected from the corresponding shoulders 21, and the gate 13 may bepushed open, swinging the yoke 19 to the position shown in either dottedlines or chain lines in Fig. 2, as the case may be. The fingers 24 ofthe stop latches on the other side remain in stopping position. When thegate 13 is again swung to closed position, its outer vertical edgemember 13 swings into the pocket formed between the two arms of eachyoke 19 and carries the yoke back to the full line position shown inFig. 2, in which position the yoke 19 is stopped, to stop'the gate also,by the engagement of the shoulder 21 with the finger 24 which hasremained down. As soon as the yoke 19 reaches this position, the otherstop latch 20 drops so as to bring its finger 24 also behind thecooperating shoulder 21 of the yoke, and thereby prevent the gate frombeing opened again in the same direction as before until the proper stoplatch is again lifted.

, arms for projecting on opposite sides of the edge of a gate and alsohaving two stop shoulders, and tWo stop latches each of Which has ashank the base and is provided With a flange at its Withdrawal of thestop latch and has a, finger at its front end for cooperating With oneof said shoulders, said stop latches being rotata-ble about such shanksto disengage their fingers from said shoulders. I

'2.- A gate latch, comprising a recessed base having a pair ofprojecting horizontal flanges, a yoke pivoted on a vertical axis betweensaid flanges,v said-yoke having an arm gate latch, comprising arecessed, base having a stop latch Which has a shank which 7 preventingWithdrawal of Which projects through rearend in such recess. forpreventing the for projecting on one side of the edge of a gate and alsohaving a stop shoulder for normally preventing said yoke from swingingout of the Way of said gate edge, and a projects through the base and isprovided with a flange at'its rear end in such recess for the stop latchand has afinger at itsfront end for cooperating With said shoulder, saidstop latch being r0- tatable on such shank to disengage said finger fromsaid shoulder.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Anderson, Indiana,this 12th day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and fifteen.

LAFE SWANK. Witnesses:

M. W. MORRISON, J. E. DAvIs.

Gopieaof this patent may boobtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

v Washington, D. 0.

